Resource of the Week #171: A “Map” for Planning Research Projects

Hello again. This week we’re featuring a new resource mentioned by Julie Walker, who directs AuthorAID as a whole. This resource, from the The Global Health Network, is the Global Health Research Process Map. It is designed to help in planning research.

This resource guides users through the phases of preparing to do a research project: conceiving the research, designing it, obtaining agreements (for example, for funding), obtaining approvals, and preparing the study site.

Although called a map, this resource is a flowchart. By clicking on items in the flowchart, users can obtain information about them and access links to relevant resources. There are about 40 items to click on.

Some items to click on (for example, “Register clinical trial”) are specific to health research. However, some others—such as “Develop research questions” and “Set budget”—apply to research projects in many fields.

This resource is quite detailed. Therefore it can help researchers ensure that they thoroughly complete all needed steps before starting a research project.

Despite the name “research process map”, this resource focuses only on planning and preparation. Of course, gathering and analyzing data are also crucial parts of the research process. And, as we emphasize at AuthorAID, so is publishing the research!

Until next post—

Barbara